


it's a slow cinnamon summer

by jellie_bean



Series: it's a slow cinnamon summer [1]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne is still denying all feelings, Even while staring at Gilbert's bare chest, F/M, Honestly Mrs. Lynde would be in her grave if she stumbled upon this scene, The teens play a friendly game of 'Chicken'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 19:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21062120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellie_bean/pseuds/jellie_bean
Summary: It started as one of the many dreadful ideas of Josie Pye that the graduating class of Avonlea’s schoolhouse seemed intent of latching onto in the weeks leading up to the Queen’s exams. Anne thought the whole thing to be absolutely preposterous. A late night swim? It was only because of Diana that she would agree to go.





	it's a slow cinnamon summer

**Author's Note:**

> of course we all know that this would be wildly inappropriate for the time period in which our characters live, but it doesn't mean we can't pretend. I wrote this mainly because I couldn't resist an awkward Shirbert moment where Gilbert is shirtless and Anne doesn't know what to do with herself. Thanks for reading! Enjoy xoxo

It started as one of the many dreadful ideas of Josie Pye that the graduating class of Avonlea’s schoolhouse seemed intent of latching onto in the weeks leading up to the Queen’s exams. It would be a secret celebration that took place deep in the woods near the schoolhouse at the lake where the boys played hockey and the girls ice-skated on in the winter. A handful of students would bring gas-burning lanterns to help illuminate the evening, while the other half of the class would bring food and blankets. They all worked to devise believable excuses to gain permission to leave their houses for part of the night, and finally, the day of the celebration arrived. The early June weather could not have provided a more perfect night for their secret party. Anne walked begrudgingly next to her bosom friend, who appeared as if she might explode from excitement at any given second, with the prospect of a few more hours left of freedom lying ahead of her. 

It was only because of Diana that Anne agreed to this absolutely preposterous plan in the first place. 

These past few weeks had left Anne focusing solely on studying for her entrance exams--and also aiding in Diana’s quest for experiencing as much freedom as possible before leaving for finishing school. Tonight happened to be her second to last evening until she was on a boat headed toward the French coast, which made Anne obligated to support any rational wishes of her dear kindred spirit, Diana.

“Oh Anne,” Diana whispered, leaning into their interlocked arms as they continued their journey onward, the low brush catching hold their skirts. “Isn’t this simply thrilling? Sneaking out to a late night swim with girls and boys,” she remarked as if she could not quite believe the words she was saying. “I don’t think I can ever properly thank you for coming with me.”

“What are bosom friends for, Diana? I desire to spend every last minute I can with you before you depart from me,” Anne replied, casting her friend a longing glance, which caused Diana’s happy smile to falter slightly at the reminder.

“How will I live without you?” she questioned mournfully..

The girls walk persisted in the forest until they saw the dim light of lanterns along the edge of the trees where the woods met a grassy expanse before dipping into the small lake. Anne noticed Tilly and Jane sitting together on a blanket, eating delicate baked goods that she assumed only Ruby herself could have made, for she was one of the most talented bakers of their class. 

What led her eyes widen in surprise, however, was not the amount of pastries that lay amongst them, but the articles of clothing. For her friends were dressed in nothing besides their undergarments. Both of the Paul’s waived in their direction upon noticing the most recent arrivals, and Anne knew for certain right then and there, that if Marilla found out about their little celebration, or anyone in Avonlea for that matter, she would most definitely never be allowed to leave her room until the day she died. The boys only wore their trousers, while their shirts and undershirts had likely been discarded in the clothing heap around her. Their exposed chests quickly made Anne look away in shame. 

This was scandalous. Anne feared the minister would undoubtedly damn them all to hell if she had not already upset God enough to damn herself to hell due to one of her numerous past follies. 

To her left, Diana was wasting no time in stripping off the many layers she wore, tossing them aside hurriedly. She ran directly toward the water and leapt in next to Ruby and Moody with a great laugh. Anne could only stand and stare at her friends, trying to come to a decent conclusion of what to do in her mind. 

She had never been exactly sentimental in regards to her figure, despite the way some of her leaner parts had filled in thanks to Marilla’s cooking and a growth spurt. It was dark enough outside that hardly anyone would be able to see her properly. There would be no one to stare at her pasty, pale skin or the dusting of freckles down her arms and chest. Feeling more emboldened than before, Anne closed her eyes and unbuttoned the back of her dress and brought it down around her ankles. She bunched the fabric against her chest and ventured toward the lake in hopes of feeling the water before getting in with the others. 

She recognized the figures wading at the water’s edge too late.

“Well if it isn’t Anne,” Billy commented, drawing nearer to her feet, wearing a provoking expression.

“Aren’t you going to get in, Anne?” Josie added, looking at her skeptically. “Or you afraid? Do you even know how to swim?”

“You never know what kinds of creatures are in the mood to sneak up from behind and attack,” jeered the annoying blonde, splashing a wave of water in Anne’s direction, which mostly ended up in Josie’s hair. Anne jumped back with a gasp. 

“Billy!” Josie exclaimed angrily, her mouth agape in surprise as she reeled around to face him. She returned the action with an enormous splash of her own, and the two seemed to forget about continuing their stream of ignorant comments as they became too engrossed in their game.

Turning on her heel, Anne promptly started in the opposite direction of the lake, her heartbeat loud enough to hear reverberating in her ears. Flashes from her childhood were looming in the forefront of her mind. The older girls at the orphanage pushing her into a body water on a rare outing, mocking her as she screamed for help and desperately tried to stay afloat by using her flailing arms. One of the Hammond boys pouring an ice cold bucket of water on her as she scrubbed the kitchen floors. She didn’t want to do this. Not on her lasting evening with Diana. Working to gain control of her breathing, she closed her eyes and attempted to do what Miss Stacey recommended. Think of the positives. Instruct your mind to recall joyful memories. Her heartbeat began to slow.

Suddenly, Anne felt the soft fingertips of someone graze her bare shoulder and she spun around in a flurry of anger, only for her poor face to almost meet a noticeably broad, quite exposed, dripping wet chest. She let out a small yelp and nearly jumped out of her skin as she stumbled backward, her foot catching on a tree limb as she flailed helplessly, trying to find anything other than the person in front of her to grab onto to keep her from toppling to the forest floor in a graceless heap.

The shadowy someone reacted instinctively by grabbing ahold of her waist to steady her, making sure she had regained her balance fully before slowly releasing his grip. For she most certainly would not have appreciated if he held on for a moment longer after the fright he had caused her. 

“Anne, I’m so sorry,” Gilbert whispered into the night air, his hand coming up to meet the back of his head while doing his best to find the right words in continuing forward from the awkward moment. “I came to see if you were okay. We all know how Josie and Billy can be, and Anne, you are at no obligation to get in that water. The choice ultimately yours, not theirs.”

Squaring her shoulders in a posture of confidence that she truly wish she could find in this mortifying moment, Anne looked anywhere and everywhere other than at the dark haired boy in front of her. For she feared if she looked at him a second longer, she may spit out words she would undoubtedly regret, the butterflies fluttering in her stomach threatening to make their way upward and erupt from her mouth if she opened it.

She needed to get away from him. Far, far away. The effect he was having on her in this moment was beginning to ruin all of the things she believed to be true about their friendship. And that was what they were. Friends. Only friends. He was a healthy rival, someone she confided in and trusted with thoughts and dreams others would surely find an opportunity to ridicule. Not a romantic ideal, yet that was what the twinge in her chest was threatening to reveal, and she was in no mood to try to sort through that feeling right now. 

Gilbert continued to stare at her, waiting expectedly for some kind of, any sort of reply. However, Anne only gave him a slight nod in acknowledgment at his gracious reminder and kind words, then pulled her crumpled dress tighter to her chest, and walked past him in determination. She marched straight to the edge of the water again, tentatively testing the temperature with the tips of her toes.

“That’s it Anne!” came Moody’s call from nearby. He waded only meters away from where she stood, Charlie, Diana, and Ruby at his side, laughing and splashing each other. Ruby screamed in protest as Diana splashed at significant amount of water into her face. This is where she needed to be. With the people that she unequivocally loved. 

Anne inhaled deeply, pushing aside the demons of her past that had been threatening to consume her, and gently placed her dress in a neat pile next to the other girls’ dresses. Turning around with a resounding breath, she walked back to her gaggle of friends and dived before she could change her mind. 

The initial shock of the icy feeling in the dark water overtook her, but recalling all of the lessons Matthew, Marilla, Diana and the rest of her friends had given her, Anne moved her legs and arms, pushing her body to the surface. When she emerged with a breathless gasp, Diana and Ruby were right by her side, their faces revealing joyous smiles.

“We knew you could do it, Anne,” Ruby praised in her tiny, mouse-like voice that Anne adored so fondly.

Directly behind her came another large splash, rocking the water hard enough to form small ripples. Anne had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and her hesitations were confirmed when she saw Ruby’s face light up in the moonlight. 

“Gilbert!” The boys broke off in a fast swim toward the newest member who had joined them in the lake. Both dipped under the water, clearly catching him off guard, and lifted him up on their shoulders, throwing him off in the direction closer to where Anne, Diana, and Ruby treaded. Anne turned her head and shut her eyes to avoid the remnants of the splash.

Rising to the surface, Gilbert broke through the water forcefully, shaking free the droplets clinging to his hair. Anne tried to look away with all her might. Yet she could not. Somehow she found this scene too mesmerizing and beautiful to try and ignore. Yes, Gilbert was a beautiful sight to behold. His strong form outlined against the black, starry night and radiated from the full moon that hung low in the sky.

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, what is wrong with you?

He seemed to take notice of her attention, and took it as an opportunity to swim in her direction, his chin resting in the water, arms spreading outward and propelling him forward. Anne suddenly pictured herself as the prey waiting to be devoured by the hungry alligator she had read about in one of the books that Miss Stacey had loaned her. Logically, she should have tried fleeing from him, but his eyes seemed to freeze her in place.

When he reached her, he gave her a devilish-look that only meant one thing when it came to Gilbert. “Seeing as we both tied fair and square for the Queen’s exams,” he acknowledged, rightfully so, Anne noted. “What do you say to a friendly tie-breaker?” His left eyebrow rose slightly, edging her on to accept this unknown competition.

Figuring that she truly had nothing to lose at this point, since school and exams were done until Queen’s, Anne returned his questioning stare with a resilient one of her own. “You make an equitable point Mr. Blythe,” she answered as seriously as she could, trying not to let him detect the hint of playfulness in her tone. “What do you have in mind?”

Gilbert explained the rules of the game to their circle of friends. He would sit on Moody’s shoulders and Anne would sit on Charlie’s shoulders. The two would then attempt to be the first to knock the other off of their partner’s shoulders. Anne seriously wondered what she had gotten herself into, for Gilbert was far stronger and sturdier than she as revealed by his topless form. Which she was doing her best not to think about. Not at all.

Ducking down, Anne got upon Charlie, and checking to make sure she was securely on his shoulders, slowly began to lift himself out of the water, holding tightly onto her legs as he went. Anne’s stomach churned uneasily as gazed down from her viewpoint at Diana and Ruby who stared back up in nervous anticipation. Much to her displeasure, some of the other students started to take notice of the scene that was about to unfold, and swam to join the girls, including the horrid Billy Andrews and Josie Pye. 

“Let’s go Gilbert! Put this skinny orphan in her place!” Billy taunted from below, which made the blood in Anne’s veins begin to boil. She in no way desired to injure her friend, but winning always meant something noteworthy when it came to the pair. Anne would put up her best fight. 

She looked ahead at Gilbert, who rested firmly and effortlessly on Moody’s shoulders. Anne took a large gulp of air to assist in the clearing of her head. Then Charlie carefully maneuvered them forward until the curly-haired boy was close enough to touch. 

“Ready?” he asked quietly, the corners of his lips raising to form a smirk. Anne gave him a brisk nod in reply, her eyes narrowing in on her opposition, while her heart jumped at the sudden contact of his long fingers interlacing with hers. He held their hands up, at collarbone level, in preparation for the battle that was about to begin.

“On the count of three,” Josie called uninterestedly. “One—“ His grip on her fingers tightened. “Two—“ Anne mirrored his body by leaning toward their embrace. “Three!”

Both used their muscles to exert force at the same time, Gilbert’s distinctly harder than Anne’s, and Charlie teetered slightly under the movement from above. She could hear the class cheering from below, the boys shouting Gilbert’s name and the girls, Anne’s. The redhead grunted, extending her arms as far as possible to resist the effort Gilbert was making in trying to get her to topple off of Charlie. He countered her attack, yet she noticed a slight shift in his demeanor.

Giving a final push with as much strength as she could muster, she watched as the boy before her began to fall sideways into the water. It was almost as if she were observing him from a dream because she only became aware that their fingers remained interlocked when she felt her body drifting off of Charlie shortly after Gilbert slid from his perch on Moody.

Landing in the water, her frame met his almost immediately, and she feared she might have hurt him. His body burned against hers as his back met the lake floor. Reaching out her arms, she wrapped her fingers around his shoulders to check if he was responsive. However, as soon as she touched him, his arms wrapped around her waist soundly, and they began their descent up to the surface. For a moment, they were suspended in time. Just him and her. Floating with no point of reference. Then Anne was coughing up the unexpected water from her chest when she met the warm night air again. Gilbert let her go as their friends gathered around to see if they were alright, and when it was confirmed that they were fine, they started cheering for Anne’s close victory.

“I guess that settles it then,” Gilbert informed her affectionately from over her shoulder. “Fair and square, Anne-girl.” His eyes met hers proudly as he and Moody hoisted her up on either side of their shoulders. Anne returned his admiration with a hidden smile. 

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ 

In the late hours of the night, Anne lay silently in her bed, staring up at the cracks on the ceiling, doing her best to will her mind to concentrate onto any other subject than him, for she wondered if she would get any sleep if every time she closed her eyes, she returned to that moment in the lake where his form was displayed so royally that she believed she could write endless poems and stories about a lonely, beautiful sea creature seeking the company of an equally desolate princess only when a full moon arose high above the shining waters. 

It was the story evolving in her head that eventually lulled her to sleep. She drifted into a dream where a young boy, with the warmest brown-eyes, purposefully lost a spelling bee to a small, thin girl with the most horrendous red hair in a little white schoolhouse simply due to the fact that he forgot to add an ‘e.’

Perhaps not everything would always be ‘fair and square’ between the two of them, yet for some reason, it was beginning to matter less.


End file.
